1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to holster assemblies and enclosures for portable firearms such as revolvers and semi-automatic pistols.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Notwithstanding massive increases in federal, state and local budgets to combat violent crimes against the general public in the United States as well as rapidly increasing physical violence against law enforcement officers, we are witnessing a worldwide presence of terrorist aggression. In most cases of threatened violence, police and other law enforcement agencies cannot respond in time to those in a dangerous confrontation to prevent injury or death. We are also witnessing the senseless self-justification of violence in the most current mental malady of the decade, road rage. Although the advent of the cell phone has afforded rapid communication to police, the violence occurs before police assistance arrives.
In response to these threats, citizens have demanded that their local and state governments pass bills allowing the public to vote on the right to carry concealed firearms. In accordance with these demands, 34 states have passed concealed carry permit laws, which in some cases, grant reciprocity for out-of-state concealed carry permits issued to residents of another state. Additionally, legislation is being sought for the issuance of a federal concealed carry permit to qualified citizens who can exhibit proficiency in safe handling and use of firearms. Recently, both houses of the United States Congress passed, with a majority of bipartisan vote, legislation signed into law by the President granting federal authorization of 80,000 commercial airline pilots to arm themselves with pistols when piloting their aircraft. Furthermore, the staff on cruise ships include armed security guards, and even gated communities are arming their staff.
Gun security and gun safety has become a necessity. A major shortcoming of a conventional holster is that a pistol inserted into the holster can be easily taken away in a gun grab attempt. Male and female officers are being killed by their own guns when they are disarmed by an increasingly violent criminal element. In response to these important realities, it is desired to provide a gun holster to keep guns secure from gun grab attempts and from unauthorized use by children and others.
In order to accommodate the different methods of carrying and storing a pistol, it is an object of the invention to provide a holster that can be adapted for these different methods of carrying and storing a pistol. In addition, it is an object to provide a holster which supercedes all government-mandated procedures for safe gun carry and storage. In some cases, government procedures require police officers to carry a pistol in Condition One, with a round chambered when carried. In others, the government requires military personnel to carry a pistol in Condition Three, with a loaded magazine but no round in chamber when carried. Civilian carry, which is reputed to be more than the combined police and military use in the United States, is projected as half in Condition One and half in Condition Three. It is an object of the invention to provide a holster system that accommodates both methods of carry while providing multiple levels of constant safety unobtainable by any other holster. The holster system should be usable with revolvers and semi-automatic pistols of the open top ejection pistols currently designed by Glock, Sig Sauer, Heckler & Koch and later versions of pistols manufactured by Walther and Beretta. Additionally, the holster should be height adjustable as well as completely ambidextrous. Illumination and laser combination modules, mounted to the trigger guard or dust cover rails of a pistol should be accommodated. The front and rear sights of the pistol should be protected from wear and misalignment when carried. Additionally, the holster system should incorporate a method of confirming the authorized possession in carrying a pistol specifically assigned to an individual that can be used in the case of onboard carry by airline pilots as well as cruise ship security.
It is an object of the invention to allow the licensed person to carry his or her weapon loaded or unloaded in a safe manner as the pistol is totally enclosed in a locked holster, access to which is controlled by the licensed person at all times.
In sum, it is an object of the present invention to provide a high security holster system that can be used with portable firearms, such as revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, that safely houses a revolver or a semi-automatic pistol.